Republicans Seek to Overhaul Gun Silencer Laws

Special tax and registration requirements are up for debate.

special operation handgun with silencer on white background

Two new gun laws were introduced into the House of Representatives and the Senate in January by Republican lawmakers. The new laws seek to reform the laws related to firearm silencers.

The bills are both named the Hearing Protection Act. The House bill was introduced by Rep. Jeff Duncan from South Carolina and John Carter of Texas. The Senate bill was introduced by Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho. At stake is a special $200 tax and registration process that takes months that are both currently applied to silencers. One requirement that won’t change is that anyone buying a silencer from a licensed gun dealer must pass a background check.

There are two ways to look at silencers. The “criminal” way of looking at silencers is that they make gun crime easier or more accessible because the guns are not as audible when they are fired off. The “good guy” way of looking at silencers is that they are a safety device since they reduce the noise that comes from firing many firearms and in turn protecting someone’s hearing. Silencers don’t actually “silence” guns but they do make them safer because they lower the noise level. These Republicans who introduced the bill along with many gun rights supporters who believe the “good guy” narrative of the story, believe that this bill will reduce firearm-related hearing damage. One thing that can be used as a comparison is the idea of silencers as being like car mufflers—a muffler is not necessary to the operation of a car, but it makes the ride more comfortable and definitely quieter.

“This legislation will enable gun owners to have better access to hearing protection products and improve safety for the shooting sports by removing extensive wait times for burdensome paperwork processing that does not advance public safety,” said Lawrence Keane, senior vice president at the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “NSSF is appreciative of Sen. Crapo’s leadership on this firearms safety issue and his willingness to stand alongside lawful American gun owners, hunters, and shooting sports enthusiasts.”

“Many gun owners and sportsmen suffer severe hearing loss after years of shooting, and yet the tool necessary to reduce such loss is onerously regulated and taxed. It doesn’t make any sense,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association’s lobbying arm. “The Duncan-Carter Hearing Protection Act would allow people easier access to suppressors, which would help them to better protect their hearing.”

Track bills through the House of Representatives at this link:
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/subjects/house_of_representatives/5947?congress=113

Track bills through the Senate at this link:
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/legislative_home.htm